Shadow of the Dead
by Sir Miles
Summary: As Link and Midna travel through Arbiter's Grounds, they encounter a fate that just might be worse than death.
1. Chapter 1

_Shadow of the Dead_

・A Twilight Princess Fanfic・

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**Disclaimer: **This Zelda fic is mine. I had the idea the last time I played through Arbiter's Grounds. However, the actual characters, places, and references are not. They belong to Nintendo. All hail Nintendo!

**Author's Note:** Auru's words are paraphrased from my memory (which is really bad), sorry. My friend thought I should mention (you'll understand when you get there), that it's the third Poe, not the second. And 'Poe' is capitalized for a reason; it refers to the big ones, not just any poes. By the way, I happen to love Arbiter's Grounds, but I do think it's a creepy place when you stop to consider what it was. And most importantly, I suppose, I _do_ have this fanfic finished, it just wouldn't be cool if I uploaded it all at once. That would take away the drama, wouldn't it? But I'll update very quickly, I promise.

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_Arbiter's Grounds._ The name sent a shiver of unease through Link. What ancient, horrible place was this, a prison with a bloody, wicked history. As he looked for the first time at the shadowed, sandy prison, he remembered Auru's words: _"It was a place where the wickedest criminals were imprisoned. From here they were sent to the underworld, never to return to Hyrule._ In short, it was a memorial to the purest evil the kingdom had ever seen. And this was the resting place for the Mirror of Twilight.

"Hey!" Midna's sharp voice pierced through Link's somber thoughts. Spiraling up from his shadow, she stopped to hover near his face. "This place is . . . creepy. Can you feel it?"

Link licked his already sandy lips, then nodded slightly. The room they were in was dark, and he could hear creatures burrowing in the sand up ahead. He could feel the oppression of spirit, the pervading gloom that was worse than any walls of stone.

"Link, maybe you should . . ." Midna trailed off, but her eyes pleaded with the young Hylian. Understanding her desire, he nodded again, then reached into his pouch to retrieve his lantern. As the small glow pushed back the shadows, he heaved an inward sigh. This place was so dark, it even got to Midna, a being of the Twilight Realm.

Thinking of the Twilight Realm brought Link's mind back to Zant, and the Mirror. They had a reason for being here, and it would not do to waste time. Hanging his lantern on his belt, he unsheathed his sword and moved into the dungeon. Sinking back into his shadow, Midna followed.

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The Poes that greeted them farther into the prison had such a strong aura, it caused Link to step back instinctively. He watched as they captured the dungeon's blue flames, whisking them away to various areas.

"That can't be good," Midna announced quietly, her usual boisterous nature stifled by the building's atmosphere.

Link ignored her. His attention was focused on the pale blue lamp hovering several feet in front of him. Holding out his shield, he cautiously stepped forward. The lamp swung crazily, and a wicked, hollow laugh echoed around him. He could not see the creature, but all of his instincts told him it was there. Charging his sword, he swung in a great horizontal arc. "Hyaah!" he yelled.

To his shock, his sword passed cleanly through the air in front of him, catching nothing more than another eerie laugh. "Link, watch out!" Midna cried, just as the blue lamp crashed into the back of the hero's head, sending him sprawling.

The Hylian lay where he had fallen as Midna swept over to him. "Are you all right?" she called. Link made a small grunting noise, then pushed himself to his feet. Turning to face his enemy once more, he raised his shield. "Wait, Link!" Midna had perched on Link's head and was urgently tugging on his green hat. "Use your wolf senses! This is no living enemy you're trying to fight!"

His friend's advice made sense to him, so he nodded and sheathed his weapon, closing his eyes as he waited for the transformation to come.

A great rushing filled his ears, as if he were caught in a tremendous wind. Shadows seemed to seep toward him, covering his form as he shrank, falling to his hands and knees. His neck grew long and his ears rose upward. In a moment it was over, and he stood as he had so many times before, a blue-eyed wolf, the sacred beast. Giving him an encouraging look, Midna landed on his back.

Wasting no time, Link honed his senses. Almost immediately he could see his enemy, a tall, pale Poe, one of the flame thieves. The creature laughed again, then swept toward him. Jumping to the side, Link pounced on the creature's back, gripping hard as he attacked multiple times. Enraged, the Poe threw him off, but with a few more quick dodges, the wolf was able to get on his back once more, and soon the creature was defeated. Sinking to the sandy ground, the Poe screeched once, horribly, as Link attacked a dark, glowing orb in its center. Pulling the orb away, the hero watched the Poe deflate, losing its force.

The Hylian sat back on his haunches, holding up the dark orb for Midna to see. "That's the Poe's soul, just like the ones that Jovani guy told us about." Link panted once, agreeing, but frowned, an emotion that looked strange on a wolf. Although he and Midna had caught several poes before, this one was different. He could feel the evil aura radiating from the orb, so much stronger than the ones he had found in Kakariko Graveyard.

It seemed that Midna could feel it, too. "Do you think that soul belonged to one of the prisoners here?" she asked. "After all, some of them probably died here, right?" Her voice had grown low, and it was not marked with her telltale humor. "Do you think . . . the others are going to be this bad, too?"

Link shivered, an action that caused Midna to lose her balance. Floating over to the Poe's remains, she covered her mouth and nose with her hand. "Well, not only does this thing reek of evil, it just plain reeks!"

Panting a little, Link trotted over and put his nose to the Poe. It did, indeed, smell awful. The wolf felt like the stench was burning his eyes. Stepping back quickly, Link shook his head, trying to dispel the pain. He knew he would not be forgetting that scent any time soon.

"Come on, Link." Midna floated back over to her perch on his back. "We still have three more of those creatures to fight, don't we? We can't waste any more time getting to the Mirror of Twilight."

Honing his senses, Link set off in the direction of another Poe, following the evil aura. Together, the Twili and beast headed deeper into the prison.

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	2. Chapter 2

_Shadow of the Dead, _chapter two

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"What about there?" Midna pointed at a square patch of sand, surrounded by stone flooring. Sniffing around, the wolf could sense that another Poe was near. He dug away the sand to reveal a chain with a handle attached. Gripping the cool metal in his teeth, he pulled, throwing his weight backwards. Eventually he heard a large grinding noise and, with a shower of sand and stone, the wall to his right began to move, revealing a small chamber.

Releasing the chain, the sacred beast charged into the room, using his senses to find the Poe concealed there. He wasted no time being cautious, instead leaping immediately to attack the creature's throat. A hideous shriek shot out of the creature's mouth as the wolf's teeth slashed and bit. After a moment, the Poe brought its arm up, swinging its lantern to connect with the wolf's side. Crying out in pain, Link soared through the air and hit the far wall. Midna flew off his back, landing near the center of the room. "Ugh!" she cried out in pain. The small female struggled to sit up, then slumped over, momentarily dazed.

Across the room, the hero had risen. Standing on shaky legs, the wolf took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his side. Steeling his senses once more, Link searched for the Poe.

The creature was across the room, its back to Link. Barking once to get its attention, he charged, intending to renew the fight. But the Poe did not respond. Confused, Link leapt for the attack, only to slip through the insubstantial monster. Landing quickly, he readied himself for another leap, then stopped.

The Poe was heading for Midna, who was still lying on the floor. Her back was to the spectre. Horrified, Link tried to bark a warning, but she did not move. The Poe continued inexorablly forward, his blue lantern swinging slowly.

Suddenly, Link beccame angry. This was _his _fight, and he would not allow Midna to get killed. He recalled the time after their encounter with Zant, when he carried the dying female to Hyrule castle, desperate to save her. He had been terrified that she would die. And yet, when they arrived, her first words to Zelda were to implore the princess to remove the curse on him. Even as her own life was in danger, Midna was worried about him. But now, she need help, and it was up to the hero to save her. She _trusted_ the hero to save her.

Dashing forward, the sacred beast planted himself between his friend and the oncoming Poe. A growl began deep in his throat, one that would have sent shivers down any living person's spine. But the Poe was unaffected. It laughed, its wicked, echoing laugh. Link stood his ground. To get to Midna, the creature would have to go through him.

He felt the evil aura pressing against him as the Poe advanced. This one was the strongest yet, a being of pure malice. Tiny shivers were cascading down the wolf's legs, making his fur stand on end. Afraid yet determined, he tensed for his final attack.

He was not prepared for the Poe's next action. Instead of swinging its lantern as before, the spectre launched itself at him, throwing its entire figure toward his body. Link barely managed to snap his jaws shut, but it did nothing. The Poe was insubstantial. With a laugh that reverberated through the wolf's head, the Poe wrapped its aura around the sacred beast.

Link struggled to breathe. It felt like he was being suffocated, caught in a cage made of hatred. Suddenly, the cage began shrinking. The Poe was all around him and, Link realized in horror, inside him. He could feel the creature's aura melting into him, juch like Zant's shadow curse had done. Only this was much worse. As he felt the strength draining from his body, he also sensed another presence, another spirit trying to take over his own.

Panting, Link collapsed to the stone floor. He could no longer see the Poe, but he could feel it. Desperately he tried to fight it off, tried to expel it from him, but it was no use. As his strength to resist gave out, he felt like he was drowning in shadows. The shadows were evil, and they were laughing at him.

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	3. Chapter 3

_Shadow of the Dead, _chapter three

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Coughing, Midna sat up. Her vision was clearing, and she could make out the shadows on the walls around her. "Link?" she called, but only silence met her ears. Floating into the air, she turned around. And saw the hero, lying on the floor, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. The wolf's eyes were closed, and his chest rose slowly, as if he were sleeping. Fearing the worst, Midna quickly readied an attack, but the Poe was nowhere in sight. Link must have defeated it but been hurt in the process.

"Link, are you all right?" Midna asked, floating over to the figure. Placing one hand on his nose, she rubbed her other hand gently over his body, looking for injuries. No blood met her hand and, after her examination, she returned to look at Link's face.

The wolf's eyes were screwed shut in obvious pain. Midna's brow furrowed with concern. What was wrong with Link? "Please, answer me, Link. What ails you?" The hero gave no sign that he had even heard the female. His breathing had grown shallower, and Midna felt the dryness of his nose. Something was _definitely _wrong.

Thinking quickly, Midna weighed her options. With Link like this, she could not help him, even if she did know what was wrong. But the hero had a fairy in his pouch; maybe that would be enough to help him. The only problem was, Midna could not even get to his pouch unless he were in his normal form. Well, then, she would just have to change him back.

"Link, I'm going to transform you now, so hang on a little longer, okay?" Bringing out Zant's solidified shadow magic, she concentrated on it, forcing her power to activate the spell. In a moment, Link had reverted to his usual self, lying on his side in the chamber, his eyes still closed.

Without hesitation, Midna moved forward to get to Link's pouch. She had it partway open when she felt a hand wrap around her arm. "Link!" she exclaimed, startled. The Hylian was looking at her, his head now propped up on his other arm.

Midna's sudden joy overwhelmed her. "Link, you're all right!" She patted the hand on her arm tenderly, then moved away from the pouch. "No need for that, then, I guess," she said, regaining her usual composure. "Shall we be on our way again?"

Link sat up, nodding once in his usual way, but Midna knew almost immediately that something was . . . off. He still had not let go of Midna, and the pressure on her arm was beginning to hurt. Looking at him impatiently, the female said, "Come on, knock it off, Link. We don't have time for this!" The hero nodded again, still holding her arm, and this time Midna felt a surge of fear. Link was acting strange, and now that she thoguht about it, he looked strange, too. There was something . . . darker about him.

"Link . . . are you all right?" Midna tried to keep the waver out of her voice. The Hylian wa sitting up now. As she watched, the hero slowly drew his sword. "Link, what's wrong?" Midna was shaking now, the pain in her arm translating into panic. "Link, please, say something!"

Raising his arm, the hero pulled her close to his face. Midna's eyes widened in horror. For, running over his feaures like water, she could see the shadow of the dead, darkening his skin, his hair, even his clothes. "Link . . ." she whispered, too stunned to even try to break free.

A dark, eerie laugh broke from him, one that almost sounded like a shriek. As she watched, he blinked slowly, and when he opened his eyes again she could see, burning deep within his sapphire orbs, a pale blue, ghostly flame.

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	4. Chapter 4

_Shadow of the Dead, _Chapter Four

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Wrenching her arm suddenly, Midna broke free of her captor's grasp and floated up to the ceiling. "Link, snap out of it! Please!" But the hero only stood, that otherworldly smile still plastered to his face. His sword hung loosely in his hand, and his eyes stared up at Midna. Subconsciously, she tried to float higher, only to be stopped by the stone at her back. She had by now at least guessed what had happened. Somehow, Link was being controlled by that Poe. And Midna had no doubt that after it used the hero to kill her, it would destroy Link as well. She had to stop it somehow. But what could she do? Right now she didn't dare get close to him, for fear of his sword.

Staying near the ceiling, she watched as Link advanced toward her, making no sound as he walked. That was odd. The chainmail-wearing Hylian always had a musical clanking following him around. But now, he was as silent as the dead.

She felt a shiver pass through her as he stopped below her, his ghostly gaze boring into her. Once more she tried to reach him. "Link, please listen to me! You have to fight this thing. I know you can! Please, Link!" The possessed hero only stared at her, and her voice fell silent. Then, much to her surprise, the Hylian began walking again.

_He's . . . leaving?_ Midna thought as he stepped over to the doorway they had entered only minutes before. The stone wall was still pushed back to reveal the hallway, complete with the metal chain lying forgotten in the dirt.

A hollow feeling filled Midna's stomach as she watched the green-clad hero step over to the wall on the right. He raised his hand carefully, placing his slender fingers on the rough stone, and it was only a moment later that she realized what he was doing. "No, stop!" she cried, zipping forward along the ceiling. But it was too late. With a low grind, the wall at the entrance began to move back into place, making shadows creep into the darkening chamber.

Desperate now, Midna flew at the rapidly diminishing gap, readying her magic as she did so. She could not let that wall close. She grabbed the wall with her hair, exerting all of her strength against it. Finally, the wall slowed its advance, but its deep rumbling still echoed through the bowels of the prison.

Taking his hand off of the wall, Link turned his gaze on the Twili, but she was not paying attention. All of her power was being spent holding the wall. _I just . . . have . . . to get Link . . . out of here_, she thought as she struggled. Midna knew she could not hold the wall long, but it was their only hope.

"Aaaahh!" Midna's trailing cry broke through the rumbling as she felt a fiery pain down her back. Her concentration broke, and the wall slammed closed, sending her crashing tot eh ground once more. Pain shot through her, momentarily blinding her. But she did not have time to be stunned.

Pushing off with one arm, she rolled quickly to her left, not stopping until she hit the wall. The master sword rang out hollowly as its point slammed into the stone. Link came up from his one-kneed croch, both hands still grasping the sword's hilt. His fire-lit eyes scanned the near darkness impassively, searching out his prey.

Midna huddled against the wall, fear and pain turning her mind into fog. She could feel a slow oozing down her back. Link had hurt her, as impossible as it sounded. _No._ It was not Link who now wielded the master sword. It was the creature, the phantom inside who had taken hold of him. If there was any way of destroying the spirit, Midna would have to chase it away, out of Link, before it could do any more harm.

Pushing herself to her feet, she concentrated on gathering her power for an attack. The one who was not Link advanced toward her, sword held low and ready. Midna kept her focus. She knew this fight would be far from easy.

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End file.
